QA

How To Relight A Hot Water Heater

Can I relight the pilot light by myself?

If your pilot light goes out, your furnace will not be able to produce heat because its burners will not ignite. Often, homeowners can relight the pilot themselves.

Is it safe to relight your water heater?

Most homeowners can relight a pilot light themselves without any issue, but it’s important to be safe when dealing with a gas-powered hot water heater. You should always proceed with care when relighting a pilot light, since the gas used to power your hot water heater is flammable and potentially dangerous.

What do you do when your hot water heater pilot light goes out?

What should you do when your water heater’s pilot light goes out? Turn the thermostat to the lowest setting. Turn the on/off/pilot switch to the “pilot” position. Remove the outer and inner panels to access your pilot light.

Can I light my hot water heater manually?

Lighting the Pilot Light on a Manual Hot Water Heater If your hot water heater is a manual, grab a long lighter. Now, hold the pilot dial down while you light the burner. You’re going to hold the pilot button down for at least 30 seconds before you release it.

How do I get my pilot light back on?

How Can I Restart My Pilot Light? Step 1: Turn off your furnace. Step 2: Locate your gas valve. Step 3: Hold down the red button. Step 4: Light the pilot light. Step 5: Let go of the button. Step 6: Turn your gas back on. Step 7: Turn your furnace back on.

How do I know if my water heater pilot light is out?

When a water heater pilot light goes out, it usually means that a natural change in gas pressure extinguished the flame. The main sign that a pilot light is out is one that everyone dreads: The water won’t get hot.

Should the water heater be on pilot or on?

You should set the water heater to “pilot”. If, however, your water heater is also the boiler for your central heating, then you’ll want to leave the heating running as normal so that your house doesn’t get damp as a result of cold and condensation.

What do I do if my pilot light won’t light?

If your pilot light won’t stay alight, it might be the thermocouple. Sometimes dust buildup collects on the thermocouple and blocks the sensor. Try cleaning the thermocouple and then relighting the pilot light. If it continues to go out, the thermocouple might need to be replaced.

How do I know if my pilot light is out?

If your pilot light is on, it should be easy to see – your eyes will be drawn to the little flame. If you don’t see a flame, your pilot light is out. If there is a flame, check the color. Pilot lights should always be blue.

Can a water heater explode?

Water heater explosions are terrifying, and they can happen. Anything that causes excess pressure on your water heating system, such as a poor anode rod, or a lot of sediment buildup, can all cause your water heater to explode. A gas leak can also cause your water heater to explode because it is a tremendous fire risk.

Do all water heaters have a pilot light?

* Caution: Most modern water heaters no longer use standing pilots. They use electronic ignition to ignite the gas. Do not attempt to manually light an electronic ignition system.

Do hot water heaters have pilot lights?

There’s no gas or pilot light involved in electric water heaters. If the power to your electric water heater is off, you may have an electrical issue requiring professional assistance.

Why is my water heater not getting hot?

If an electric water heater is not producing hot water, it could be a simple problem like a blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker. Other simple solutions include an unplugged or faulty power cord for electric water heaters. For gas water heaters, it could be as straightforward as being out of gas.

How long do you have to wait for hot water to come back?

Ideally speaking, an electric water heater takes around 60 to 80 minutes to release hot water with a tank capacity of 40-gallon. If the tank capacity is 80-gallon, the recovery time can be more than two hours.

Why is my hot water not getting hot?

A water heater that produces no hot water may not be getting power, may have a tripped limit switch, or may have one or more failed heating elements. First, check the water heater’s circuit breaker in the service panel to make sure it hasn’t tripped. If the breaker has tripped, switch it off, then switch it back on.

Why would pilot light go out?

Some of the possible serious reasons for pilot lights to go out include loose or broken gas valves, thermocouples or heat exchangers, faulty venting, low gas pressure, or high winds. If you believe there is a serious problem, don’t hesitate to contact a professional.

How long does it take for a water heater to heat up?

Your average gas tank water heater takes about 30 to 40 minutes to heat water once it gets in the tank. This preliminary heat up happens when new water from your water supply is fed into the tank.

What does pilot mean on hot water heater?

On gas water heaters, the pilot light makes sure that there’s always flame available when the burner needs to kick in and heat water. If you run out of gas, install a new water heater or have to shut it down for some reason, lighting the pilot is the first step to turn on a water heater.